Obviously, with so many major updates, it would be reasonable to assume that Google was working hard trying to deliver a superior product – provide users with a better search “experience.” It would be reasonable to assume that, but it would be the wrong assumption.

Show Google The Money

Why? Because Google has strayed far away from its original search roots. Today’s Google is first and foremost a greedy corporation – a powerful advertising company that generates 97 percent of its income from its advertising programs – namely Adwords. And while Google may have made its name in search, it made its fortune from advertising.

And when 97 percent of your revenue is coming from advertising, guess what your overriding priority is going to be? That’s right… how to make more money from your advertising programs!

So how did it come to this? How did Google lose its way?

In a word…greed. Google makes a lot of money from online advertising. How much is a lot? In the twelve months ending June 30, 2011, Google brought in $33.3 billion in revenues. Of that, 97 percent ($32.2 billion) was from advertising.

You Gotta Pay To Play

WordStream, a provider of software for keywords and pay-per-click marketing campaigns, has done research to discover which keywords receive the highest costs per click (CPC) in Google AdWords. Following are the top 20 keyword categories that fetched the highest costs per click:

Can you believe the cost-per-click of the top 20 keyword categories? Not only is Google thumbing its nose at searchers, it’s also kicking small advertisers to the curb as well. The same small advertisers who helped Google become the dominant advertising force that it’s become. At those prices, it’s impossible for small advertisers to compete. The playing field is tilted decidedly towards the side of big business.

“Some of Google’s new search results look quite alarming in terms of every single link above the fold is either a paid ad, or links to yet another Google page wrapped in ads.

I have a huge monitor & it is impossible for me to click *anywhére* above the fold on some search results without going through Google’s toll booth or clicking off to yet another Google ad wrapped page.

Those who coddled Google & gave Google the benefit of the doubt now have egg on their face, and the industry as a whole is poorer for their poor judgement & lack of stewardship.”

“All during the ‘Panda mess’ one thing has been positive for Google, their ad revenues! They’ve grown to record levels (especially this last quarter). Why? I believe it’s simply because desperate business owners (and SEO marketers) don’t have sure answers to make-up for lost rankings and traffic. So, they decide to ‘punt’ by using more paid advertising – even going as far as pointing ads to home pages (now that’s desperation)!

As Google continues with its Panda ‘search engine redesign,’ let’s all just sit back and watch them continue to mess up organic search and the Internet marketing industry.”

So, am I and others criticizing Google unfairly? Or, am I right to ask the question: Is Google’s Advertising Destroying the Sanctity of Search Results?